Nonslip device for footwear



July 20,1548. Q HARVEY 2,445,353

NONSLIP DEVICE FOR FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. 26, 1946 Q /arefica I fifa'rve Patented July 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE r h 2.445.359; f

NONSLIPIJJEVICE Foitr oo'rwEA'it Clarence Harvey, Fayctteville, N. Y. Application August 26, 1946, sc s... 693,009

Myinvention appertains to anti-slip devices for attachment to footwear and has for its general object to provide a highly efficient non-slip device which can be manufactured at low cost, and one which will neither detract from'the appearance of the footwear to which it is applied nor deface the same. f

More particularly the invention has as an object the provision of a non-slip device comprising an anti-slip pad obliquely disposed across the bottom surface of an article of footwear, such as an overshoe for instance, and provided with stretchable end sections adjacent to tabs by which the pad is attached tolower edge portions of the shoe. The pad is provided with a suitable abrasive surface for securing traction, and its oblique or diagonal arrangement is well suited to take stresses imposed upon it when in use. The non-slip device is adapted to be got lip-t harmonizewith the footwear on which it is'u'sed. A sallentlfeature of the construction is that the stretchableend sections operate to enable the pad to be shifted between effective and ineffective positions. When not required it can be readily shifted from its effective or operative position beneath the shoe'to its ineffective position overlying the upper. i

The invention provides a non-slip device which is permanently attached to a shoe and which inconspicuously is carried at a side thereof when not in use. It can be readily swung into an operative position. The utility and advantages of its construction will be more clearly appreciated from the ensuing specification of which the accompanying drawing forms a part.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a view showing the bottom of a shoe with the non-slip device in its effective position across the sole portion thereof.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the shoe showing the traction pad turned to its ineffective position in which it overlies the toe portion of the shoe.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the non-slip device depicting the abrasive surface on the outer side of the traction pad.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fi 3. I

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fi 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragment of the non-slip device in perspective showing the traction ad formed of two thicknesses of material.

Fig. 7 is a cross section on line 'I-! of Fig. 6 in which the stretchable end section is illustrated as round in cross section.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the non-slip device ap- ZClaims. (Cl. 36-61) 1 plied to the heel of a shoe. In Fig. 8 thepad'is disposed'in itseffective position in which it over: lies the lift face of theheel, and in Fig. 9 the pad is disposedjinits ineffective positionalongside of aside wall of the heel. I

In carrying out my invention I propose to provide a traction securing pad ID for application to an overshoe or the like in order to present a nonslip surface ll adapted for walking with safety in thewinter time. Preferably the pad will be of the oval shape, as 'shown, and essentially will be flexible to conformto the contour of the surface of a shoe to which it is applied in order to be flat against the same. j' t "The pad l0 may be made up of a strip of rubber of a. fairlystiff character with asr'nooth inner face I! and a rough outer face suitable to present the non-slip surface 1 I. The pad could be mouldably' formed of a. rubber compound that would have the quality er elasticityto a smalldegree but not to any appreciable extent since'the pad is not required to" stretch, but only to flex freely. There are various known ways of forming'the non-Slip surface |l-. Any of 'such known ways could be adopted according "to the dictates of manufacti'ire. In making the pad of a rubber material an-abrasive material" could be applied in the moulding operation, or the outer face could be coated with an abrasive in granular form,

As an alternative, the pad may be made up of a laminated construction as disclosed in Fig. 6; in which event it may have an upper layer of canvas, denoted at l3, applied to a layer or ply of rubber It. In this case the outer face of the I canvas layer may be coated with an abrasive substance, or a non-slip may be otherwise formed thereon.

In the application of the non-slip device to the sole of a shoe as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pad is of a length to extend obliquely or diagonally between the toe portion and the shank portion so as to overlie the sole in effective position to preclude slipping.

Novel means extend from the ends of the pad for permanently attaching it to the shoe so that it can be shifted to an ineffective position when not required. Said means comprises relatively narrow elastic sections l5 and I6 and tabs l1. Said elastic sections form constricted parts between the ends of the pad and said tabs, and are composed of an elastic rubber that will stretch readily. These elastic sections are integrated with the pad and the tabs to form a unitary nonslip appliance. Said tabs are preferably made of rubber and are preferably formed as an integral continuation of said sections l5 and I6. They are arranged transversely of the longitudinal axis of said pad and are permanently secured to the shoe in approved manner, as by being cemented thereto or by being vulcanized to the rubber of the shoe. In applying the tabs they are spaced apart sufflciently to tension the elastic sections l5 and I6 to hold the pad tautly in contact with the subjacent tread face of the sole I8. The tab I! at theafr'ontal end cfthe pad isiaittached to the frontal *toe portion of the upper ISin 'close proximity to the tread face of the sole and toward the far side of said toe portion. The tab I! at the rear of the pad is attached to theiside-edgesporetion of the sole at the arch or shank region of the shoe.

fest that the construction and arrangement of the non-slip device is adapted to effectively Preelude slipping in the operative position of the pad as--clepicted in Fig. '1 and that when the device :is not .requiredttc be used-\it can bereadilygrasped by hand :and shifted withan attendant reversing motion to :an linefiectiveposition alongside .of the shoe as depicted in Fig. 2, in which-"the abrasive face .44 .is inturned. ilfheelastic sections 15 and .16 function-to enable the shiftingand reversing action to take placeandalso to tension the pad in .itsineffective position for retaining it against displacement. Said sections I5 and .IB may be Ma fiat cross section, as shown in Fig. v5, or on the other .hand they :be of a round cross section as shown-at :20- inFigs. 6: and 7.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the non-slip device-appliedtoth-e heel ofa shoe. The constructionof thedevice :itself remains the same :andit is obliquely arranged in effective-position with the traction pad held ..taut against the Jiftface of the heel, as shown in Fi 8. In Fig. 9 .the pad is shown in its ineffectiveposition-towhichwithas From the preceding description it Willbe mani.-

comprising an elongated pad having an :anti-slip face, and elastic connectingmembers atthe ends of said pad, said pad being disposed obliquely across the bottom of the shoe adjacent to an end thereof, the connecting member which is thus located at this end of the shoe being positioned to one side *ofthe longitudinal centre of the shoe with .its extremity secured to said side wall, the connecting member at the other end of said pad beingipositioned at the other side of the longitudinal centre of the shoe and having its extremity secured to the adjacent portion of saidside-wall, whereby said pad maybe shifted toan inefi'ectiye position against said adjacent portion of. said side wall. .2. Anon-slip attachment as claimed in-claim 1,, in which the elastic connecting members .are-pel manently secured to the shoe .undertension and have par-ts which are freetostretch, audio-which said parts are or arounded cross section'to enable the pad to be turned-easily in areversingmovement whenit is beingshifted.

I CLARENCE T. HARVEY.

REFERENCES .CITED,

Thefollowing references :are of record in tfile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS the 754,150 France .Aug; '21-, 1933 

